5th Sunday of Lent, Year C
In today’s gospel reading from the gospel of Saint John 8:1-11, we hear the story of the woman caught committing adultery and how the scribes and Pharisees condemned her and tried to trap Jesus in their evil wiles. Rather than fall for their tricks, Jesus challenges them to examine their own hearts before self-righteously judging and condemning others. Today’s gospel reading reminds us of GOD’S MERCIFUL FORGIVENESS. With these words "woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more, " Jesus shows God’s mercy and forgiveness to woman. This act of Jesus reminds us of God’s mercy, generosity, compassion and love for us as was emphasized to us last week with the parable of the prodigal son. Yes it is a fact that our God is kind, merciful, generous, compassionate and loving, but we still have to do our own part to reciprocate His wonderful gifts, blessings, graces and mercies upon us by paying attention to the challenges posed by today’s gospel reading.
Today’s gospel reading firstly challenges us to STOP JUDGING, CONDEMNING, BULLYING OR SHAMING OTHERS, RATHER TO SEE GOD IN EVERYONE BECAUSE WE ARE ALL GOD’S CHILDREN. We are also challenged by today’ s gospel reading to LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS AS GOD FORGIVES US IN THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION. < br / > < br / > Lastly, today’ s gospel reading challenges us TO ALWAYS TRUST IN GOD, and Saint Paul in our second reading today from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians 3: 8 - 14 emphasizes this point by saying, "Brothers and sisters, I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God."
So my brothers and sisters, let us continue to come closer to God this Lenten season by loving others and stop judging, condemning, bullying or shaming them; by forgiving others like God forgives us our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and by always trusting in God, who is kind, merciful, generous, compassionate and loving.
